Older Homes On MLK Blvd. Near Old Spanish Trl.

[JLWM8609]

I've passed them countless times, but only in the last week have I really paid attention to the older homes on MLK near OST. When they were built, MLK wasn't even known as its prior name of South Park Blvd. It was known as Holmes Rd. If you look at old aerial views from the 40s, you can see where Holmes Rd. made a curve to the north at what is now the intersection of 610 and MLK. Part of that curve still exists as the right turn lane from MLK to the 610 WB feeder. But, back to the homes. Most of them sit on slightly less than an acre of land.

 

The one in the best condition is the mansion at 5151 MLK. It's owned by a church now and was built in 1910 according to HCAD, but it looks more like a 1920s or 1930s build to me.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.704455,-95.33413,3a,75y,119.58h,91.16t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqMOCcisJ8t4e6_XV5mNqHg!2e0

 

The next one is hidden behind a bunch of trees. The only way you can really see it is on Bing maps. It's at 5302 MLK and was built in 1939 according to HCAD.

http://binged.it/1lFNK34

 

5306 MLK is also owned by the same church that owns 5151 MLK. HCAD says it was built in 1958, but Google Earth aerial views from 1953 show otherwise. It's also shrouded by vegetation

http://binged.it/1nmyZPZ

 

5320 MLK is also owned by the church. HCAD says it was built in 1947, but Google Earth views from 1944 show it to be present. It's  surrounded by trees and doesn't look to be in good condition.

http://binged.it/1nmzcT4

 

There was another one next to 5320 at MLK and Stuyvesant, but it was torn down for some apartments in the 60s or 70s, which were owned by the same church in the 90s, and torn down recently and replaced by KIPP Academy.

 

I wonder, who built and originally lived in these homes? They seem more like something you would've found on S. MacGregor or N. Parkwood Dr. When most of them were built, they were in what was still considered the outskirts of town. It's amazing that most of them have survived the developments that have surrounded them.

[brhaltx]

I've driven by many times too, and wondered.  I knew some of that was owned by the church, but didn't look any more.

I really don't remember seeing them in the 60s or 70s; they weren't on the usual route to/from Palm Center.

[Specwriter]

Nice work JLM. Thank you. You've got my interest piqued.

[FilioScotia]

It's worth remembering that at one time this area was on the outskirts of town. Nothing but open land south of where Holmes veered to the west. After WWII, there was a national housing boom fed by easy to get GI Home loans, and the area we're talking about filled up with little houses made out of ticky tacky and they all looked the same. (sorry. couldn't help myself)

 

I've always been fascinated by the street names iout there. They're names of people and locations made famous in both World Wars. Burma Rd., Bataan, Chennault, Anzio, Tarawa, Doolittle, Pershing, Jutland, Kassarine Pass, Tobruk, Dieppe, etc. War veterans couldn't wait to move into houses on streets with those names.

 

I'm guessing that was when the main north-south thoroughfare through this suburban neighborhood was named South Park. When it connected with Holmes Rd, apparently, Holmes going to the north was renamed South Park and it ran across Griggs Rd and OST into the Third Ward.

 

I'm just guessing at all this. Anybody got any better info?

Edited June 21, 2014 by FilioScotia

[sevfiv]

^That sounds about right. On 1953 aerials you can see those new neighborhoods and where South Park was pretty new and "merged" with Holmes right at the drive-in theater (that you can still see the ghost of today on 610/MLK)

[ggmsmolly]

On 6/19/2014 at 11:01 PM, JLWM8609 said:

I've passed them countless times, but only in the last week have I really paid attention to the older homes on MLK near OST. When they were built, MLK wasn't even known as its prior name of South Park Blvd. It was known as Holmes Rd. If you look at old aerial views from the 40s, you can see where Holmes Rd. made a curve to the north at what is now the intersection of 610 and MLK. Part of that curve still exists as the right turn lane from MLK to the 610 WB feeder. But, back to the homes. Most of them sit on slightly less than an acre of land.

 

The one in the best condition is the mansion at 5151 MLK. It's owned by a church now and was built in 1910 according to HCAD, but it looks more like a 1920s or 1930s build to me.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.704455,-95.33413,3a,75y,119.58h,91.16t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqMOCcisJ8t4e6_XV5mNqHg!2e0

 

The next one is hidden behind a bunch of trees. The only way you can really see it is on Bing maps. It's at 5302 MLK and was built in 1939 according to HCAD.

http://binged.it/1lFNK34

 

5306 MLK is also owned by the same church that owns 5151 MLK. HCAD says it was built in 1958, but Google Earth aerial views from 1953 show otherwise. It's also shrouded by vegetation

http://binged.it/1nmyZPZ

 

5320 MLK is also owned by the church. HCAD says it was built in 1947, but Google Earth views from 1944 show it to be present. It's  surrounded by trees and doesn't look to be in good condition.

http://binged.it/1nmzcT4

 

There was another one next to 5320 at MLK and Stuyvesant, but it was torn down for some apartments in the 60s or 70s, which were owned by the same church in the 90s, and torn down recently and replaced by KIPP Academy.

 

I wonder, who built and originally lived in these homes? They seem more like something you would've found on S. MacGregor or N. Parkwood Dr. When most of them were built, they were in what was still considered the outskirts of town. It's amazing that most of them have survived the developments that have surrounded them.

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by ggmsmolly